Sanju (Movie) - a personal review. (3/5)

Although a little caricaturistic & a teensy weensy over the top stuff by Anushka & Vicky Kaushal at certain scenes, Sanju is a typical Rajkumar Hirani film. As usual, like all his previous ventures, Hirani quicky gets into his act of getting people entertained. Sanju is not a Ranbir Kapoor film. It is a Rajkumar Hirani film.

Ranbir has always stressed to the fact he is a director's actor. Perhaps, due to that, his organic essence was missing in Sanju. I will give you a demo in Rancho's style. In one scene Ranbir does drugs, next Ranbir gets the big Relevation of his mom being sick with Cancer, then he cries for roughly a few seconds, & then again does drugs & flies to NY with his sisters and so on & so forth. If you notice the time consumed for making all these scenes, it's around 10 mins but feels like it went for ages. I am not complaining about this. Just trying to explain the primary reason why Sanju is a typical Hirani film, and not a Ranbir Kapoor film.

Hirani has a unque style of narration. He clubs with his ADs & other staff members & concocts an octane driven entertainer. He seems to have cracked the formula of making an exquisite and elegant film. He knows when where to pause, after a little drag of a scene. He knows where to not overdo after a funny sequence. He knows where to land the heavy punches & the soft jabs. And the primary credit to all of this should also be given to Abhijat Joshi, who has been Hirani's partner in crime for all his previous ventures as the co-writer.

But that in no way means Sanju is a bad film. Hirani's films are the best. Because like Priyadarshan, they are full of life & energy which was reflected in his Munna Bhai series But unlike Imtiaz Ali, Anurag kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj or Bhansali' films, and his own films with Aamir Khan, the soul seems to have been missing in Sanju which sort of was a little disappointing for me.

Ranbir wasn't performing like he did in either Sawariya or Barfi or Rocket Singh or Tamasha or APKGK or Rockstar or YJHD or even Rajneeti but he was acting, which happens to the actors in every Rajkumar Hirani film whether you are Aamir Khan or Anushka Sharma or Ranbir Kapoor.

Now, talking of Anushka Sharma, I didn't get her sudden rise in octaves when she spoke English. Seriously, it was annoying It sounded out of tune & out of place to her crystal clear, (shuddh) hindi accent during the remaining of her screen time. She could have toned down to a certain extent perhaps but again it being a Hirani film, I was kinda expecting this. He likes to cook his dishes in his own style and mannerism. So, It's great then I guess,

The only thing I didn't like about the film was that a lot of the aspects of Sanjay Dutt's life got dealt with a few liners, which disappointed me to a certain extent. Paresh Rawal as Sunil Duttji was charismatic by the way. I don't have enough words to explain his greatness in the movie. He elevated the scenes where he was pretend with his esteem presence. He is a very versatile and underrated actor according to me. Has seen him as a villain (in old classics), have seen him as a father (Table No. 21 and Krantiveer). Kindly watch Table No. 21 if you have not watched it already. Rajiv Khandelwal was at his best in the film. Offcourse, Khandelwal's Aamir was a surprise for me. It left a permanent impression in my heart as a quality cinematic experience. It is a gem that should not be missed.

Now, you noticed what I did there. Jump cuts. They are interesting if you do it in a film within scenes like Vidhu Vinod Chopra did in his film Parinda. But if you do it with the script, they can be dangerous. But Hirani being a pro at this, does his job with finesse. Again, just a reminder it is a Hirani film, so it was kind of expected.

Vicky Kaushal's character got a tidbit more screen time than the demand of the story. Salman Khan, Kumar Gaurav, etc ere never ever mentioned though they play a pivotal role in Sanjay Dutt's real life. Manisha Koirala looked stellar as usual. Enough said, there are millions of aspect I skipped in this review because I think a lot of the other reviewers have already covered many of those aspects extensively. Watch Sanju as a Rajkumar Hirani film & not a Ranbir Kapoor's film, that's the advice I will give. Liked the movie but did not love it because I have seen Hirani do better films. This movie is not bad by mountains, but by moles.

Enjoy.

Meri Pyaari Bindu - A personal review

Meri Pyaari Bindu

(The Pros and The Cons and The Ugly Bit)

-A personal review (2.25/5)

Acting- 3/5 (Abhi or Ayushmann Khurrana was probably as meticulous as he always is and Parineeti was not at her best, and the remaining cast was not bad)

Music- 2.5/5 (In a movie which is based on music if the music is average that's a drag)

Direction- 3/5 (Debutant director, Akshay Ro, who has also been an assistant director tor Taare Zameen Par, a film that brought Darsheel Safari to fame and was perhaps one of the first movies to discuss the trouble with dyslexia so elaborately)

Casting- 2.5/5 (I didn't like the performance of Bindu's father, it was kind of script reading and hence the tension between Bindu and her father looked pretty scripted and emotionless, needed the likes of Shivkumar Subramaniam for such a role)

Editing- 2/5 (the movie lacked sharp editing and could have been edited in a better manner)

Plot/Story-line- 2.5/5 (Nothing new in the story except perhaps the subtle elements and the perfect comic timings of the film makes it watchable.

Action/Drama- 0/5 (The failed to work upon the tension situations by trying to make them comical but lacked enough authenticity.

The Pros

Acting, Casting and the plot will perhaps may you stick together to unearth what actually happened between Abhi and Bindu.

The Cons

An overtly cooked Bengali culture has been tried and showcased in the film. And too much Bengaliyana or any other form of regionalism can back backfire and perhaps that shall be a major let down to a large of non-Bengali speaking audiences.

The Ugly Bit

The first half of the film seems pacy, tight and juicy like the Abhi's pulp fictitious novels Awaara Dhoban or Chudail ki Choli, and yet when you look back at the second half it seems as distorted as it can get.

And definitely the tale of two stragglers crossing each other's pathway, and both attaining happiness in the course down the lane, reminded me quite a bit of La La Land, But may be the comparison is too much exaggeration of the narration I guess.

Final Verdict- The film had immense potential to make it a memorable love story, but fall short and stays just as an ordinary love story.

If the Editing was better, could have rated it 3/5 but this story, except perhaps bits, parts and a pinch of the music would dry up from the wells of my heart.

I too miss you, Meri Pyaari Bindu. (From Chudail ki Choli, just kidding ;) :D :P )

Baahubali 2- (The conclusion) A personal review

Overall ratings- 3.5/5

Acting-3.5/5

Plot-3/5

Action-4/5

Editing- 3/5

Choreography-4/5

Music-2.25/5

Dialogues-3.5/5

Screenplay-4/5

Direction-4/5

VFX-3.75/5

Carrying ahead the story from Baahubali-The beginning, the sequel is pacier, smarter and bolder than it's predecessor. Adding wittier elements in the first hour of an epic 155 minutes journey for the establishment of righteousness of Maheshmati was a feast for the eyes.

It's a tale of conspiracy, it's a story of love, lust and betrayal. It's a story of sacrifice, compassion and hope. It's a story larger than life.

For over 3-4 years there has been an enigmatic buzz, innumerable memes and scores of conspiracy theory on "Why did Katappa, his loyal friend kill Amarendra Baahubali?"

Well, the movie answers this question in a very precise manner. Loyalty, coercion and gullibility became the primary weapons for the death of the Amarendra Baahubali, why, for what and how, are the elements that would be unveiled through the mesmerising cinematic experience of Baahubali 2-The conclusion.

The actors have performed really well, and Sathyaraj as Katappa deserves a special mention. Rana Daggubati, Prabhas, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan,Nassar and Subbaraju did great as they are well known for their performance oriented acting.

Its a powerpact film, loads of strong, and witty dialogues, loads of Herculean Muscle-show added by beautiful set design and epic action sequences, offers a mammoth experience to the viewers.

Definitely worth-a watch for movie lovers. As we know from Dirty Picture, there are only three things that sell and they are, "Entertainment. Entertainment, and Entertainment."

Are Story tellers and writers the same?

Are you a story teller; or are you a Writer; or they just the same comprehending colloquial ideology? Bored are you, already? 

Have you ever thought as a writer, reader or both are you a story teller?
Have it ever occur to you as thinker, orator, or say as a poet, are you a story teller?
Have you ever had dreams, sequences after sequences, finding yourself romancing (for some the instances may be bromancing or sizzling on the grooves of sisterhood, depending on how you wish to fantasise and imagine), that has helped you to pen or a nibble of thought, and does this make you a randomised muser or are you a story teller?

“How are story tellers different from writers?”, “Do you have to be a good story teller to be a writer?”, “And are all writers good story tellers?” 

With these few major bits to solve this pertinent question that peeks into to all minds once in a while, I decided to outpour my understanding of this entire notion of storytelling.  Yes, the previous statement sounds a bit jargonised in its own way of representation, but that’s what writing is all about. To be honest to you, it’s all about scribblings down your thoughts in a thread-like or web-entangled fashion and drafting it presentably. It’s all about making it look like a product of an effortless chiselled stuff. See I could have done it again. By constructing complicated sentences, Storytelling is about simplying your thoughts and making it resonates along with every section of your audiences. Some may like it, some may revert to it, but your intent must be to make it reach to all. Constructing long and strenuous sentences, which are grammatically correct but may not be able to grasp the fine chords of the reader’s mind, or can they?

Now story telling takes a completely different route or approach.  Poetry, Puppeteering, Music, Movies, Dance forms, skits and many other means and techniques have been adopted by the story tellers of the past and present timeline to tie a plot or a sequence of events that left the world awed and speechless. I think having a blessed childhood, with your parents and elders showering tailored and curtailed tales of Kings, Queens, princes, and princesses, witches and hags; their quests, adventures and many thing more, creates a charm and helps netting a world which solely belongs to you and nobody else. And depending on how effortlessly the story teller brews his/her aroma of scribblets into a skittle of chivalry, honour, morality, pain and many things more with his/her fine and articulated choice of words, perfect pauses and precise presentation of how the characters he builds upon fits in a seeming a jumbled world makes the art of story telling a stuff of great amusement, interest and off course entertainment. 

There are many writers, may be in hundreds, who adopt the story-telling style of writing. Mostly these sorts of books are aimed to attract the children and the young audiences scripted the narratives in a meticulous manner. But there are others who know the art to enchant and enthral their audiences with their manner of storytelling. The likes to Tolkien, Doyle, Blyton, and many writers from our contemporary time or contributing to the vast array of literature has been successfully able to design and deliver such a sculpture of story-telling. The greatest skill that a story teller possesses is the art to seam the local plots into a global phenomenon which is universally appealing sets in a marvellous feast for their readers. 

Unlike many writers, story tellers (although many are soliloquy and self-absorbed) are often regarded as beings keen observant to the environment where they exist and seek to replicate the occurrence of events or traits of unique characters blended with imagination into a far superior  diverse-logue of experiences which leaves behind his/her foot prints in the minds of their audiences. People revere them, respect them and remember them for their skills and that what makes story tellers emblem of that timeline. People may forget who the story tellers are but no one forgets memorable stories and they pass on from generation after generations to seekers and traders of stories and tales. 

Their sketches and scripts anecdotally often reflect the culture, political, psychologically, socio-economic ideology and the evolutionary road the art form of storytelling has diligently taken. Whether pedantic or not, at times regressive, at others progressive in its own subtle manner, stories help to fill in the dots and voids. It's very essential for a story teller to be able to represent and replicate their present in a very pristine form. Writers tend to garble out the gracious plethora of musing into a more coarse way, cultivating seeds of thoughts on not-so reliable territory. Story tellers are wittily committed and aware of the territory whether they inherit it or have trespassed in it. 

Personally speaking, it is my believe, after reading a notable amount of historical books and stuff, story-tellers also holds the key to the future by shaping our mind and taste with verses of their views, value and many things more. Human beings must realize we are heading towards a time where implanting false and fabricated facts in the form of “Post truth” is an undeniable reality and story tellers do bang their beats upon that. We also know how story tellers played a crucial role in shaping the views, perception, ideology and understanding of a world that we exist today. I believe that pen is definitely mightier than the sword and have swiftly affected many civilizations, their upsurge, reputation and at times their downfall. This burden of responsibility must be carried duly with caution. Writers those who fail to do so, are lost forever in the sandstorm in this arid and humid desert of desolation, where reality and fiction in a coitus of ephemeral elegance copiously exists, where writers (storytellers and wannabes) like it or not.

  

Into the abyss

Into the abyss where darkness fades 
I leave behind my wealth of words
For you to read, learn and never forget
Some to love, some to hate.

Alas, Mortality will take all this with me.
But I think Death should be very smart
Too much knowledge, ideas and whims
Scattered and nurtured in colossal of dreams.

The rue of hope paints the color blue
Life is a moment filled with a soloist's song.

Ample dark and the nectar's smell
Adores my heart as I take the leap
In the morbid land of lecherous shades
Where truths are lied in words of wise.

The treacherous sins are buried deep
As bodies float on sticks and strings
Marionettes of a Sailor's tale
Swim the lands on broken loops.

Today as my body burns
In the shallow world of a Mariner's song
The Paradise sings the words of life
As I dive in the Mariana Trench

The Artist

The skinny scalps of a deluded window

Hopped on a rickety lull of naked whims

Busty chests baked on crescent smiles

Made vultures craft the rustic lore of lies.

Dungeons deep in his pristine white

Slivered in a brute’s obvious choice

A paranoia chord of existing nerves

Screamed a romantic’s psychedelic tale

Sculptured masks were taunted green.

As sprays were rolled to rosy skies

A butterfly squalled with a sliced throat;

Failing to grasp the octaves of Gabriel

Gory nails brushed a mustered skin

Scarping through the dermal into bones

Knives sharpened in ripen red gives me joy

To wield my body into its many forms

                                                                     Anindya Ganguly  © 2016 all rights reserved

When Tarushi wanted a poem on Hope

https://www.facebook.com/tarushi.meghlaan?fref=ufi&rc=pHope is merely a four letter word.
Like Love, Hate and Life.
The only difference 
between them and Hope is

These states dwell
around present and past
Time immemorial,
Only hope lets us strive
For a 'better' Future.